Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994)

Sonic 3 & Knuckles Chapter Zero

About a month had passed since the Death Egg incident, and Sonic didn't like how the doctor was being so quiet. Tails was busying himself with an invention.

"After building something like that, he wouldn't just disappear."

"You did bring it down though, Sonic," Tails replied.

"But where did it fall? If it survived, he'd brag about it."

"It could be in disrepair."

"What's that you're working on?"

"This is to help us find the Chaos Emeralds more easily when they take off again."

Tails went back to his work.

"You know," he spoke up, "There is one thing I think might be significant."

"What's that?"

"Remember that enormous tidal wave that occurred not too long after you took out the Death Egg?"

"Oh yeah, but it was so far out, by the time it reach the island it wasn't a threat."

"I think the only thing that could've made such a wave is the Death Egg."

Sonic thought about it, "Let's look around the beach where the wave hit."

"Alright!"

Soon

Sonic and Tails walked up and down the beach and found nothing.

"Anything at all, buddy?"

"Not a trace, Sonic. No pieces of scrap metal, machine parts, nothing."

Sonic gave an annoyed sigh and picked up a rock, "We're getting no-place fast."

He threw the rock and it skipped across the waves. Just then, a huge wave hit the beach, soaking the pair.

"That's a coincidence," Sonic grumbled.

There was a gleam in the sand. Sonic picked up what appeared to be a ring. It was covered in ancient markings.

"Tails, what do you make of this?"

"It looks familiar. Let's take it to my lab."

A few minutes later

"I thought so. This ring is from the ancient Echidna civilization."

"I kind of remember hearing about it," Sonic said.

"According to the different stories I've seen, they flourished until a faction of elders got greedy. They tried to use the 'mighty stone' or 'stone of power' to their ends, but unleashed a force they couldn't control. Somehow a piece of land was sent into the sky."

"You mean the Floating Island?"

"Angel Island as they call it. Since it's constantly moving, no one knows where it is."

"And you think that by sheer chance the Death Egg landed on the island?"

"Yes and that tidal wave was the result of the island falling into the ocean. Whatever keeps it afloat probably couldn't handle the sudden extra weight."

"Do you think that 'mighty stone of power' or whatever you call it is what keeps it afloat? Could it be a Chaos Emerald?"

"Of course not, Sonic. There are only seven, and if it was a Chaos Emerald...well, I'm sure they'd outright say it."

Yeah, they're not exactly hard to miss. So what, we head in the direction the tidal wave came from and we should find the island?"

"Exactly! I'll fire up the Tornado."